Pressure chamber closure

ABSTRACT

An access door for a pressure vessel wherein the door itself is the only moving part and the pressure difference between the interior of the chamber and ambient exterior pressure is the only sealing force is provided. The door is in the form of a disc or wafer made of metal or solid plastic material and holds in position a sealing ring having a peripheral groove for receiving one O ring and a groove on the surface facing the door for receiving a second O ring. The door is rolled manually by a substantially radially extending handle. The chamber is cut to receive the door laterally and recessed internally to permit the sealing ring to be moved axially into sealing position in the recess.

United States Patent Morin et al.

l l Oct. 17, 1972 [54] PRESSURE CHAMBER CLOSURE 3,605,337 9/1971 Rodgers..220/46 R [72] Inventors: Richard A. Morin, Snyder; Edward H. Lanphier,Eggertsville, both of W Henson wood Assistant Exammer-John J. LoveAttorney-R. S. Sciascia, L. l. Shra o and C. E. [73] Assignee: TheUnited States 0! America as vautrain, J g

represented by the Secretary of the w 57 ABSTRACT [22] Filed: 1971 Anaccess door for a pressure vessel wherein the door [2l] Appl. No.:103,664 itself is the only moving part and the pressure dif ferencebetween the interior of the chamber and ambient exterior pressure is theonly sealing force is pro- "220/46 g ggflga vided. The door is in theform of a disc or wafer made n I u of metal or solid plastic materialand holds in position [5 8] held Search 42: gzgi d a sealing ring havinga peripheral groove for receiving I one 0 ring and a groove on thesurface facing the door for receiving a second 0 ring. The door isrolled [56] References Cited manually by a substantially radiallyextending handle. UNITED STATES PATENTS The chamber is cut to receivethe door laterally and recessed Internally to permit the sealing ring tobe 2 t moved axially into sealing position in the recess. no son e a3.128.009 4/l964 Norton ..220/46 R 10 Claims, 6 Drawing FiguresPATENIEDucr I7 I972 SHEET 2 [IF 2 Fig. 5

OUT 45 lll III I I l I I I I I I I l l I I c I I I I I IIIIII RichardE.Morin INVENTORS Edward H. Lonphier Fig.6

PRESSURE CHAMBER CLOSURE The invention described herein may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States ofAmerica for governmental purposes without the payment of any royaltiesthereon or therefor.

This invention concerns a pressure sealing closure assembly and, moreparticularly, a closure wherein the door itself is the only member movedto permit ingress and egress.

Increased use of pressure vessels for both laboratory testing andindoctrination and deep-sea research emphasizes the need for greatlyimproved accessibility to such enclosures. Conventional negative orpositive pressure vessels still include the cumbersome hinged doors ofthe past which are tedious to use and difficult to manufacture. Apressing need thus exists in the pressure chamber field for an accessdoor which is simple to operate, easy to manufacture and has an absoluteminimum of moving parts.

The present invention represents a completely novel approach to theproblem of access means for high pressure vessels whether for use underpositive or negative pressure. The invention provides a transverselyopening circular door which is manually rolled along a track and, wheninserted, provides a seat for a simple sealing ring requiring only twoO-ring seals to effect a watertight and gastight closure. The sealingring has substantially the same outer dimensions as the door, isinserted through the door access slot and is moved axially into sealingengagement in the door recess.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide anextremely simplified access door for pressure vessels.

It is another object of this invention to provide an access door forpressure vessels which may be operated manually or mechanically andwhich is applicable to both negative and positive pressure vessels.

A further object of this invention is to provide an access door forpressure vessels wherein the door itself is the only moving part andwhich requires only one other stru ctural member to provide the completeseal.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description thereof whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which likenumerals represent like parts throughout and wherein:

FIG. I is a side elevation of a model pressure vessel showing theclosure means of the present invention in the closed position;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the model of FIG. 1 with the door rolled to theopen position;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the sealing ring included in the closure meansof FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the sealing ring of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the pressure vessel model of FIG. 1 with thedoor and sealing ring removed; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the pressure vessel of FIG. 1 in use.

Referring to FIG. 1, a pressure vessel model 11 is shown having an axialchamber 12 formed therein and a recess 13 at one end for receiving asealing ring 14 and a pressure door 15. These components may be made ofsteel, aluminum, plastic, etc., depending upon the intended environment,use, working pressure, etc. FIG. 2 shows the vessel in end elevationwith door 15 rolled to the open position along a track 16 which also mayserve as a support for one end of the pressure vessel. Sealing ring 14has substantially the same circumference as pressure door 15 and is madeto be received in close fit in one end of recess 13 which recess mayextend laterally substantially midway into wall 17 of the pressurevessel. Sealing ring 14 has an inside diameter substantially equal tothe inner diameter of pressure vessel 11 and may have the same thicknessas shown or have a reduced or increased thickness depending uponmaterial, use, etc. Sealing ring 14 is provided with at least a pair ofgrooves to receive 0 rings 20 and 21 which form a seal with the abuttingsurfaces. The dimensions of sealing ring 14 must, however, permit it 'tobe inserted through a common lateral opening 22 in the pressure vessel.

In the model illustrated, door 15 is provided with a T handle 24 tofacilitate manual movement in and out of recess 13 in pressure vessel11. The door has a slight depression 23 on the surface which abuts ring14 to facilitate opening and closing across 0 ring 21.

In FIG. 2, a door 15 is in the open position in which position handle 24has rotated to substantial contact with the end of track 16. The closedposition of door 15 is indicated by the position of handle 24 in phantomlines at 26. This figure illustrates the extreme simplicity of theclosure means. FIGS. 3 and 4 show sealing ring 14 in greater detail,illustrating in FIG. 3 a groove 36 to receive sealing ring 21 and inFIG. 4 a groove 37 to receive sealing ring 20.

FIG. 5 illustrates pressure vessel 11 with sealing ring 14 and door 15removed. The depth of recess 13 in the wall of chamber 11 is indicatedat 41 and, of course, may be varied in accordance with the materialsused and the pressure limits expected to be encountered in the vessel.

FIG. 6 illustrates pressure vessel 11 sealed to the environment bysealing ring 14 and door 15 and, in addition, includes conduits 44 and45 with appropriate valves therein 46 and 47 for controlling theadmission of gas under pressure via a passage 48 into chamber 12 as wellas evacuating the chamber to form a negative pressure vessel. A gauge 49is connected to conduit 50 which communicates with passage 48.

A close fit of the moving parts is obtained by the proper machining ofrecess 13, opening 22, sealing ring 14 and door 15. 0 rings 20 and 21complete the com ponents necessary to provide a watertight and airtightclosure. Track 16 preferably extends a distance transverse to vessel 1]sufficient to permit door 15 to be rolled clear of chamber 12, i.e.,through an arc of substantially It will be appreciated that the primaryfunction of handle 24 is to provide a lever advantageous for manualoperation and that it may be replaced by other mechanical means such asa pad eye or grip ring which also would permit manual operation of thedoor. The grip means also would act to limit travel of the door eitherby abutting or reaching a position in close proximity to the end oftrack 25 when the door is open.

The operation of the vessel in FIG. 16 is as follows. With door 15 inthe closed position, valve 46 is connected to a high pressure airsource, not shown. Valve 47 then is closed and valve 46 opened, allowingpressure to rise in chamber 12 to the desired level as indicated ongauge 49. Valve 46 is then closed. To reduce the pressure in chamber 12,valve 47 is opened, allowing air to escape from the high pressurevessel. When gauge 49 reads zero, door 15 can be rolled clear of opening22, permitting immediate access into chamber 12. it will be appreciatedthat with slight modification FIG. 6 could also illustrate an evacuatedvessel in use.

It will thus be appreciated that the present invention provides anoutward opening closure for either positive or negative pressure vesselswhich is operated by movement of only one moving part. By reducing themoving parts to one, an exceedingly more simple configuration andconstruction are permitted with collateral savings in bulk and weight.The closure of the present invention requires a minimum of maintenancewhich generally entails maintaining the surfaces of door 15, sealingring 14 and recess 13 in proper condition and replacing the O-ring sealsas necessary, all of which may be accomplished in a relatively veryshort interval. Such construction and maintenance afford a very greatsavings in cost over existing pressure vessel access means.

The closure means of the present invention has safety features notachieved or possible in conventional closure means, e.g., the doorcannot be opened prematurely unless the pressure is so low as to permitthe door to be moved in which case the remaining slight pressure will bereleased harmlessly. This safety feature is applicable to both positiveand negative pressure vessels since pressure on either side of the ringswill have the same sealing effect. Door 15 can be opened any amountdesired and, when displaced laterally a distance equal to the diameterof chamber 12, is entirely clear of the chamber. When so displaced, thedoor is beyond opening 22 and can be vertically removed from vessel 11.Such removal is readily accomplished since door 15 is not bolted orotherwise attached, secured or connected to the pressure vessel. Sincethe door opens laterally in a straight line, no clear area is requiredin front of the closure such as is necessary to accommodate a hingeddoor.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. For example, the pressurevessel could be other than circular in cross section but have adoorreceiving section which could accommodate circular recess 13. Also,the walls of the pressure vessel could be substantially reduced inthickness except in the area surrounding recess 13. What is claimedis: 1. A closure means for a pressure vessel comprising: a pressurevessel open at one end and forming a cylindrical axial chamber; a recessin said chamber adjacent said open end and adapted to receive in closefit a sealing ring and a circular door, said recess being circular incontour and extending radially into the walls of the chamber a selecteddistance commensurate with the chamber pressures to be encountered,

said recess extending axially along said chamber a distance sufficientto accommodate in close fit a sealing ring and a door,

the wall of said chamber having an opening whose major dimension is notgreater than the diameter of said recess; a sealing ring adapted to beinserted through said opening and thereafter moved laterally intoseating engagement in said recess, the interior surface of said sealingring being substantially colinear with the interior surface of saidchamber,

said sealing ring having at least one 0 ring on its peripheral surfaceand one 0 ring on one of its end surfaces;

a circular door adapted to be accommodated in said opening;

a track extending laterally from said chamber and tangent to the lowerpoint of said recess; and a handle on said door for manual operationthereof so positioned around the periphery thereof that when in theclosed position said handle is at the upper extremity of the opening andwhen open said handle is adjacent the remote end of said track.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said door is formed with acentrally disposed depression to facilitate movement across said remote0 ring.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said depression extendssubstantially into said door to provide storage space for material to-be used in said chamber.

4. The method of providing access to a pressure vessel using a singlemoving member comprising the steps of:

inserting a sealing ring into the wall of said vessel through an openingtherein transverse to the longitudinal axis of said vessel;

seating said sealing ring by axial movement thereof into acircumferential recess in the chamber wall adjoining the opening throughwhich the sealing ring was inserted; and

inserting a door having substantially the same peripheral dimensions assaid sealing ring through the opening and into said circumferentialrecess; said sealing ring having peripheral sealing means for sealingthe interface between the vessel and the sealing ring and sealing meanson its face adjacent the door for sealing that interface.

5. A closure means for a pressure vessel comprising:

an elongate pressure vessel open at one end and having a recess in thewall adjacent said open end for accommodating a transversely orientedclosure means;

said closure means including a sealing ring whose interior surface issubstantially colinear with the interior surface of said vessel,

said closure means further including a door having a peripheral contoursubstantially identical to the contour of said sealing ring, said recessadapted to receive said sealing ring and said door in close fittingrelationship;

an opening in the lateral wall of said pressure vessel communicatingwith the end of said recess adjacent an end of said pressure vessel,said sealing ring inserted first through said opening, said doorinserted through said opening to form a seal against said sealing ring;and

8. The device as defined in claim 7 wherein said grip means is a handleso positioned that when the door is closed the handle is at the upperextremity of said opening and when the door is open the handle is ad- 5jacent the remote end of said track.

cluding grip means on the peripheral surface of said to door which isexposed when the door is seated in said recess to assist in manuallyrolling said door along said support means in opening and closingthereof.

9. The device as defined in claim 8 wherein said door is formed with acentrally disposed depression to facilitate movement across said endsurface 0 ring.

10. The device as defined in claim 9 wherein said depression extendssubstantially into said door to provide storage space for material to beused in said vessel.

* i i III

1. A closure means for a pressure vessel comprising: a pressure vesselopen at one end and forming a cylindrical axial chamber; a recess insaid chamber adjacent said open end and adapted to receive in close fita sealing ring and a circular door, said recess being circular incontour and extending radially into the walls of the chamber a selecteddistance commensurate with the chamber pressures to be encountered, saidrecess extending axially along said chamber a distance sufficient toaccommodate in close fit a sealing ring and a door, the wall of saidchamber having an opening whose major dimension is not greater than thediameter of said recess; a sealing ring adapted to be inserted throughsaid opening and thereafter moved laterally into seating engagement insaid recess, the interior surface of said sealing ring beingsubstantially colinear with the interior surface of said chamber, saidsealing ring having at least one O ring on its peripheral surface andone O ring on one of its end surfaces; a circular door adapted to beaccommodated in said opening; a track extending laterally from saidchamber and tangent to the lower point of said recess; and a handle onsaid door for manual operation thereof so positioned around theperiphery thereof that when in the closed position said handle is at theupper extremity of the opening anD when open said handle is adjacent theremote end of said track.
 2. The device as defined in claim 1 whereinsaid door is formed with a centrally disposed depression to facilitatemovement across said remote O ring.
 3. The device as defined in claim 2wherein said depression extends substantially into said door to providestorage space for material to be used in said chamber.
 4. The method ofproviding access to a pressure vessel using a single moving membercomprising the steps of: inserting a sealing ring into the wall of saidvessel through an opening therein transverse to the longitudinal axis ofsaid vessel; seating said sealing ring by axial movement thereof into acircumferential recess in the chamber wall adjoining the opening throughwhich the sealing ring was inserted; and inserting a door havingsubstantially the same peripheral dimensions as said sealing ringthrough the opening and into said circumferential recess; said sealingring having peripheral sealing means for sealing the interface betweenthe vessel and the sealing ring and sealing means on its face adjacentthe door for sealing that interface.
 5. A closure means for a pressurevessel comprising: an elongate pressure vessel open at one end andhaving a recess in the wall adjacent said open end for accommodating atransversely oriented closure means; said closure means including asealing ring whose interior surface is substantially colinear with theinterior surface of said vessel, said closure means further including adoor having a peripheral contour substantially identical to the contourof said sealing ring, said recess adapted to receive said sealing ringand said door in close fitting relationship; an opening in the lateralwall of said pressure vessel communicating with the end of said recessadjacent an end of said pressure vessel, said sealing ring insertedfirst through said opening, said door inserted through said opening toform a seal against said sealing ring; and means extending laterallyfrom said opening for supporting said door on its peripheral surface. 6.The device as defined in claim 5 wherein said sealing ring aloneprovides the seal for said vessel, said sealing ring having at least oneO ring in its peripheral surface for sealing the side wall of thepressure vessel and at least one O ring in its end surface adjacent saiddoor for sealing said opening.
 7. The device as defined in claim 6 andfurther including grip means on the peripheral surface of said doorwhich is exposed when the door is seated in said recess to assist inmanually rolling said door along said support means in opening andclosing thereof.
 8. The device as defined in claim 7 wherein said gripmeans is a handle so positioned that when the door is closed the handleis at the upper extremity of said opening and when the door is open thehandle is adjacent the remote end of said track.
 9. The device asdefined in claim 8 wherein said door is formed with a centrally disposeddepression to facilitate movement across said end surface O ring. 10.The device as defined in claim 9 wherein said depression extendssubstantially into said door to provide storage space for material to beused in said vessel.